President Trump on Wednesday announced his intent to nominate Kirstjen Nielsen to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Nielsen, 45, worked as second-in-command under former DHS Secretary John Kelly. In July, Kelly was picked to serve as White House chief of staff. He moved to the White House and took Nielsen with him. She has worked as principal deputy chief of staff since the summer.
If confirmed, Nielsen would be the first former DHS employee to be promoted to chief of the 15-year-old department. She also worked at DHS’s Transportation Security Administration and served on the White House Homeland Security Council under former President George W. Bush.
Nielsen guided Kelly through his Senate confirmation process, where the two developed a close working relationship.
